1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to protective garments and more particularly to protective garments of the type having a hood covering the operator's head and fed by a pressurized air supply.
2. Background of the Invention
Protective apparel is being increasingly required for certain working conditions by governmental regulation. One type of protective garment known as a sack suit incorporates a hood for the operator's head. The hood connects to a flexible hose which in turn connects to a air source of breathing quality air. In using this type of protective garment, the worker pulls open the neck of the sack suit wide enough to step into the suit through the neck. An elastic band in the neck is designed to allow the neck area to be stretched wide enough to allow this entry and to recover to partially close the neck. Before closing the neck, the worker dons an air hood and fits the inner skirt of the hood inside the neck of the suit and then uses a draw string to close the neck of the suit and lock it over the inner skirt of the hood. The outer air hood skirt is then fitted over the sack suit on the outside with the upper neck portion of the sack suit effectively held between the inner and outer skirts of the hood. In this type of sack suit, the operator also fits each hand into a glove-shaped hand cover forming an extension of an inner skirt secured within the outer extremity of the arm section. The operator then dons a heavy work glove over each hand and fits the upper extremity of each glove within the outer extremity of the arm section and over the inner arm skirt to which the hand cover is secured. When donning the suit, the operator also typically fits each of his street shoes into a substantially air impervious shoe cover which is formed as an extension of an inner skirt within the outer leg section at the lower extremity of each leg section of the suit. The operator's work boots are then donned over the shoe covers and the upper portions of the boots are fitted between the inner leg skirt and outer leg section. Elastic straps at the extremity of each arm section and at the extremity of each leg section maintain the suit fabric in a secured position around the prospective work gloves and work boots of the operator.
Sack suits of the type described have been made by Abandaco, Inc. of Decatur, Ala. and by the Durafab Company of Cleburne, Tex. by way of example. The suit and hood fabric as well as the fabric employed for the inner hand covers and shoe covers have generally been made of a material which is substantially impervious to air. Thus, when a sack suit of the type described is used with a hood and a 20 pressurized air source as mentioned above, the suit tends to trap air from the hood in the sack suit and to expand the suit under a positive pressure so that the worker is inhibited in his work. Such suits when associated with a pressurized air source as described often tend to balloon outward and become so large that a worker's dexterity is inhibited. Various ventilating systems have been employed as, for example, in the system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,752. Valves have been found unacceptable because of tending to breathe in particulates. However, there is a need to provide an improved protective garment suitable for use with a pressurized air source connected to a hood but which does not tend to balloon in the manner described. The provision of an improved totally encapsulating suit with a pressurized air source in a manner such that the suit does not tend to balloon and provides a better control of the cooling effect of the air is the primary object of the invention. Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.